Centre Stage: To Kiss You Again
Hi there, and welcome back to the blog.
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for the incredible reception for my latest announcement on the blog from last month. I truly appreciate all the support, and I now look forward to writing to you again on this blog.
Our post this week will be the first in a series of interviews with independent authors discussing their upcoming new releases. This will be a monthly series. This month I was lucky enough to have a chat with Nicola Lowe about her forthcoming book, To Kiss You Again. Please enjoy the interview.
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Tell us about yourself and your upcoming book.
I’m Nicola, 41, project manager by day and author by night! My upcoming book, To Kiss You Again, is the sequel to my debut book, The Missed Kiss which was released in July. It was originally a stand-alone book, but when I finished, I couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to tell.
How long on average did it take you to write this book?
Three months to write, then three months to edit and format for release. It’s a pattern I’d like to continue and aim to release two books next year also.
What surprised you the most about writing your book?
How the characters evolved with me overtime. I’d outlined them as I began, but the more I wrote, the more real they became. I’ve even had dreams about them! I actually miss them now I’m writing about new characters for my next book.
Was the main character inspired by a real person?
The main character, Lily, is purely fictional and not based on a real person, but… she does have a lot in common with me, I wouldn’t like to confirm which of her traits are mine!
Which character in your upcoming book do you relate to the most?
Cassie, who is Lily’s best friend. Trying to juggle being a mum, and keeping her own life and interests. Always spinning too many plates. I don’t have Cassie’s glorious, big house though.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I wanted names that were relatable, as if these were people you could work with, know from school, bump into at the corner shop etc. I think Lily is a really pretty name, and sweet like the character. I think Zack is quite a sexy name, and Luke is my favourite boys name, if I’d had a son, I would have named him Luke – I was blessed with three daughters though!
How would you describe your ideal reader for this book?
I’ve had amazing feedback from women in their 20’s up to a lady in her mid 80’s, who told me it had ‘opened her eyes’! There have also been a few male readers now who have enjoyed it. My ideal though, would be very similar to me. A mother, in her 30’s or 40’s just wanting to escape the everyday into a lovely story. Finish a chapter before bed with a smile on their face. There’s enough heavy stuff in the world, we need some happy escapism.
What can readers expect from your book when they purchase it?
The end of The Missed Kiss left a lot of people in tears – To Kiss You Again will resolve a lot, but… it’s far from a smooth journey! Without giving any spoilers, lots of love, quite a bit of steam, themes of friendship and loyalty, international travel and a very, very special ABC.
What inspired you to write this book?
I finished writing The Missed Kiss and began to write a completely new book. I couldn’t stop thinking about those characters though, I felt like I was cheating on them! I’d left the end of the book relatively open as to what might happen next, and I knew I wanted to tell the rest of the story.
What did you learn when writing the book?
I only began writing in January 2021 and have no formal education or training on the matter – I work in IT! I’ve learned a lot about grammar, and the rules of writing. Conversely to that however, I’ve realised that some rules are there to be broken and you should write in your own style, keep your own voice. Any computer programme could follow the ‘rules’ and churn something out, but would we enjoy it?
Who are your writing friends that inspire you and how do you keep each other motivated?
I’m lucky enough to have a writing mentor and coach in the family – The Coffeehouse Writer – Mandi Allen. Particularly for The Missed Kiss she was an amazing source of help, and confidence. I adore the writing community on Twitter and have made more friends there than I can list – there’s always someone to support, listen, cheer, whatever you need. They’re a crazy talented bunch and I’ve read many of their books this year too.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Sadness – Although I began writing in a sad time (lockdown), it was therapeutic. When I’m actually feeling sad or down though, I just can’t write. I don’t try and force myself now because I know it won’t happen. I’m a happy writer!
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Getting too hung up on the rules and other people’s opinions – if I had listened to it all, this book wouldn’t exist. Write what you want to write. Just before I published The Missed Kiss I read a Twitter thread about how nobody liked love triangles, it nearly put me off. Don’t let other people put you off!
And as for the writing rules – yes some matter, spelling, grammar, punctuation, but let your story flow with your own voice Your book – your rules!
Finally, what is your favourite word and why?
I don’t even have to think about this one. Gorgeous! I had to remove about 200 uses of it from my book because I love to describe things as gorgeous! It’s my perfect word.
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To Kiss You Again will be released on November 25th and can be purchased from Amazon. I will include the links below if you are interested in buying the book.
That’s it for this week. I just want to leave by saying thank you for taking the time to read this article and thanks to Nicola for a wonderful interview. I hope you all liked it, and I would recommend picking up a copy of Nicola’s book if you are interested. I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this series, and I will be continuing this series on the first Friday of every month from now on. I will leave the links below for you to order To Kiss You Again, and if you would like to follow Nicola on social media, you can do so on Twitter @nicswriting.
Order To Kiss You Again:
U.S: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0953CZDBP
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HCHDKP3/
Thank you once again for taking the time to read this article.
Until next time.
Warmest regards,
James.